Surgical-needle holder



J. FERG EN. $-URGIUAL NEEDLE HOLDER.

(N0 Model.)

N0. 421,919. Patented Feb. 25,1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN FERGEN, or onionco, ILLINOIS.

SURGICAL-NEEDLE HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 421,919, dated February25, 1890.

Application filed November 19, 1889. $eria1 No. 330,918. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN FERG-EN, a subject of the Emperor of Germany,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Hackedorn-NeedleHolders, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings. 1

My invention relates to needle-holders of that kind in which the needlemay be held at various angles for surgical purposes.

' The object of inyinvention is to permit the needle to be held in linewith the instrument; to increase the variety of positions in which theneedle can be held; to provide improved means for holding the needle,and to provide certain novel and improved features of construction, allserving to render the instrument highly efficient and serviceable.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other useful ends my inventionconsists in matters hereinafter setforth, and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1, 2, and 3 respectively showdifferent sides of the needle-holder. Fig.4 is a section on line i 4; inFig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a sectionon line 6 (i in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 represents the top or outer side ofslide'H. Fig. 8 shows the inner or un der side of said slide, and Fig. 9is an edge view of the same. Fig. 10 represents a slide which isprovided at one end with an oblique jaw, and Fig. 11 is an edge view ofsaid slide. Fig. 12 illustrates a needle held transversely to the lengthof the instrument. Fig. 13 shows a needle held coincident with thelength of the instrument, and Fig. 14 shows a needle held obliquely tothe same. Fig. 15 shows the rack-plate. Fig. 16 shows the spring.

The instrument comprises a couple of handles A and B, which are attachedto one another by a pivot C, and normally swung open or apart by aspring D. The handle A is prolonged beyond the point at which the handleB is pivoted to it, so as to provide said handle with a stem or shank.a, This stem of handle A is provided with two fixed jaws a and ed,arranged, respectively, at opposite sides of the stem and near the end.thereof. The jaw a has its face formed transversely to the length of thestem, while the jaw a is formed obliquely to the length of the stem.\Vhen therefore a needle is held against the jaw a it will be positionedat right angles to the stem, as in Fig. 12, while, on theother hand,when a needle is held against the jaw a it will be positioned oblique tothe stem, as inFig. 14. The jaw a is also intersected by aneedle-holding channel a, which is formed in a plane coincident with thelongitudinal center of the stem, so that when a needle is placed withinthe channel a it will project 'from the end of the instrument in a linecoincident with the lengih of the stem, as in Fig. 13.

For the purpose of holding a needle in the several foregoing-mentionedpositions it can be clamped between the fixed jaw a and an adjustablejaw It, so as to hold it as in Fig. 12, or clamped between the fixed jawa and an adjustable jaw E, so as to hold it as in Fig. 14, or clampedbetween a pair of jaws h h, so as to hold it as in Fig. 13. As a meansfor providing these several jaws, I arrange upon the stem a slide H,which serves as a shank for the jaws 7t and h. This slide is dividedalong its forward end portion, as at W, so as to provide it with twoprongs or divisions which form the spring-jaws h h. The outer end ofsaid slide constitutes the jaw 71,, which is intersected by the slot orslit b Said slit is in alignment with the needle-receiving channel a sothat when a needle is placed between the jaws h it may also extend alongsaid channel, as in Fig. 13. The slide H lies upon and is parallel withthe stem a and is operated from the handle B. As a means for closing thejaws h upon the needle, the stem at is provided with a couple of dogs aarranged to respectively engage opposite sides of the split end of theslide 11. The slide 11 is provided along its side with inclines 7L3,which incline toward its forward end. These inclines b are arrangedalong the splitend portion of the slide, so that when the latter ismoved forward the advancement of its inclined. sides against the dogs awill cause the jaws h to close upon and clamp the needle, while, on theother hand, when the slide is retracted said jaws will be allowed tospring open.

The slide H is at its forward end held and is provided with a cam ornotch 1), formed eccentric to its pivot and receiving a stud 7L on slideH, so that by operating said handle the slide can be advanced andretracted at the will of the operator.

The shank of jaw E is formed by a slide which is arranged upon the sideof the stem a and connected with the slide H by a pin e, which extendsthrough a slot formed longitudinally in the stem. (See Fig. By operatinghandle B, therefore, jaw E can be so advanced as to clamp the needleagainst the fixed jaw 662, so as to hold the needle as in Fig. 14.

As'a preferred way of pivoting the handles, one of then1for example, thehandle Bis provided with a T-headed pivot C, while the pivot-hole c inthe other handle consists of a slot which is adapted in length toreceive the pivot-head and enlarged between its ends incorrespondencewith the diameter of the stem of said pivot. By sucharrangement the two handles can be pivotally locked to one another whenthe head of the pivot is across said slot and taken apart when thepivot-head is in register with the slot. One of the handles is providedwith a pivoted rack-plate I, which is subject to the spring and normallyheld by said spring in position to be engaged by an end of the otherhandle.

WVhat I claim as my invention is 1. In a needle-holder, the jaws h,formed at one end of a slide, and fixed dogs for closing said jaws whenthe slide is adjusted.

2. In a needle-holder, the combination of the stem a, provided with afixed transverse jaw which is intersected by a channel of, and

a slide H, adjustable upon said stem and provided with the jaws whichare parallel with the stem, whereby a needle can be held eithertransversely to or in line with the stem, substantially as set forth.

3. In a needle-holder, the combination of the stem (1., provided with anoblique jaw a and a sliding j aw E, for the purpose set forth.

4:. In a needle-holder, the combination of the stem provided at its endwith the fixed transverse and oblique jaws, the slide H, provided withjaws parallel with its length and having its forward end arranged toform a jaw opposite the transverse fixed jaw, and the adjusttble jaw E,arranged to coact with the oblique fixed jaw and connected with theslide H.

5. The combination of the handle A, previded with a stem a, the slideII, provided with jaws, and the handle B, engaging said slide to operatethe same, as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN FERGEN.

Witnesses:

\VILLIAM I-I. LOTZ, OTTO LUEBKERT.

